Drivers would feed meters $1 an hour for the first two hours, and $2 for each additional hour. Currently, it is 75 cents for the first two hours, and $1.50 for every hour after that.

Santa Cruz resident Matthew Sevey doesn't have a problem with that.

"I think it's completely reasonable, especially for all the upkeep and everything around here," Sevey said.

The plan also includes converting the Pearl Alley, Elm Street, and Cedar Street lots from free parking into paid parking. The River Street garage is one of two parking structures in need of $1 million in repairs.

The commission also adjusted a proposal to increase permit parking fees for downtown workers. It would have jumped from $25 to $35.

Stone Soup owner Gerry Mandel said, "That's a 40 percent increase. It would seem a little strong to do all at once. It would be a hardship for our business."

Downtown Commissioner Jesse Nickells said, "I didn't want employees at the office to be penalized. We want them to be here. I think we should subsidize their parking permits and keep those parking deficiencies down."

The recommendations from the Downtown Commission will be passed on to the Santa Cruz City Council, which is expected to take it up in September.

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IN SANTA CRUZ SAY SOME SERIOUS REPAIRS NEED TO BE ALONG PACIFIC AVENUE... AND IT MIGHT END UP COSTING YOU TO DO THEM.. EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ. ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ WITH THE STORY.# VISITORS WILL PAY MORE BECAUSE CITY EXPENSES HAVE OUTPACED REVENUE ...THE DOWN TICK IN THE ECONOMY FORCED BUSINESSES OUT AND THE DOWNTOWN PARKING DISTRICT WANTS TO CORRECT IT BEFORE IT GETS WORSE. the parking fund has been running a deficit of about two- hundred-thousand dollars averging ove rthe last eight years so we've spent our fund balance down to about one point six million DRIVERS WOULD FEED METERS A BUCK AN HOUR FOR THE FIRST TWO HOURS AND TWO DOLLARS FOR EACH ADDTIONAL HOUR...CURRENTLY IT'S SEVENTY FIVE CENTS AND A DOLLAR FIFTY FOR EVERY HOUR AFTER THAT .. I think it's completely reasonable especially for all the up keep and everything around here. One of the proposed changes is to feed meters an hour earlier and an hour later in the evening. THE PLAN WOULD ASLO INCLUDE CONVERTING THE PEARL ALLEY, ELM AND CEDAR STREET LOTS INTO PAID PARKING. THE RIVER STREET GARAGE IS ONE OF TWO PARKING STRUCTURES IN NEED OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN REPAIRS... THE COMMISSION ADJUSTED A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE PERMIT PARKING FEES FOR DOWNTOWN WORKERS. IT WOULD HAVE JUMPED FROM TWENTY FIVE TO THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS. That's a forty percent increase. It would seem a little strong to do and all at once. It would be a hardship for our business. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE A GRADUAL INCREASE FROM TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS TO TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS. I didn't want employees at the office to be penalized .we want them to be here. I think we should subsidze their parking permits and keep those parking deficiency's down. EVEN WITH THE INCREASES THE DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGERS SAYS SANTA CRUZ PARKING RATES ARE STILL LESS COSTLY THAN OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES. IN DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, PHIL GOMEZ, KSBW ACTION NEWS EIGHT.